CasualObserver70

I would have liked to see Dakota Hagler on the first team O Line, but I completely understand the difficulty in choosing this team. and why he was on 2nd team instead. It speaks to the incredible talent in East Texas. Certainly the challenge of creating such a team is one I wouldn't want.

I've watched some girls basketball games before when one team totally outclassed the other, and I have seen some ugly scores. Nothing quite like 100-0, but severe blowouts nonetheless. When a team is that much better than their opponent, staying in a full court press while up 76-0 doesn't teach your kids anything. There is no coaching or learning going on when the talent margin is that great and the score is that lopsided. The coach created this whirlwind by running up the score. There are a lot of ways to apologize while saving face, which is what the Covenant School System is trying to do. They could have flat fired him and made him the scapegoat. They didn't do that. They had his back when the easiest way out of the mess would have been to fire the head coach. Even if the coach didn't think what he did was wrong (which would lead me to question his character), he should have realized the school administrators were sticking their necks out to protect him. That's what got him fired.

Gilmer will probably not win State in 3A Division I, because they will probably go Division II. Chapel Hill would have to miss the playoffs for Gilmer to be DI, and I seriously don't see that happening. I can see Gilmer as the #1 team in 3A, and playing for the State Championship, but a lot of questions about Who goes DI and DII just can't be answered yet. That's not just in Gilmer's district, but Carthage, La Vega, etc.

The Score was 14-3 when this play happened, and it was Celina's 1st TD of the game. I hadn't seen this picture until today, but I talked to a couple of the photographer's down on the field and they were certain that the ball was fumbled before the runner crossed the plane of the goal line. Certainly it is a moot point, since Carthage won the game anyway. But the night after the game I did comment on this play. I think the refs missed this call (it took them a long time to decide, 1st calling it a TD, then a fumble, then a TD). The score at halftime was 18-14 Celina. It could have easily been 21-3 Carthage. Carthage still won, but as I said that night after the game, it could have been a blowout pretty easily.

This is classic. The season ended Saturday, and we're already talking about 2009. I'm glad to know I'm not the only football addict on this sight! don't know enough about 5A or 1A to really make predictions, but if Shead is coming back, Cayuga should be strong again. In 4A, Longview should be top dog. In 3A, I'll go with Gilmer. I know Carthage will have a tough team, but you can't easily replace Blackshire & Smith. In 2A, Daingerfield might easily repeat. Of course, it's DECEMBER. A lot could happen in 9 months.

Certainly will be in prayer for your son and your family. Recovery from such an injury will require the encouragement and support of all family members, pushing him to keep going when rehab is tough. I've often wondered why more inuries didn't occur in situations like that. A group of high school kids coming out of a tunnel or through a banner and then jumping on each other. I know such an accident is randomly unpredictable, but I'm actually surprised it hasn't occurred more often. I know as a Father I would much rather be injured than see one of my daughters hurt. Again, I will be praying for your son and family.

Longview played Allen (State Champs in Div. 1 5A) and Lake Travis. It would be interesting to hear from them which team they thought was better. I actually think Lake Travis might be the best team in Texas at any level.

Congrats to Daingerfield and the Tiger nation. Of course, the Tiger nation will be insufferable now (as if they weren't). Seriously, Daingerfield, congratulations on an outstanding season. W/o a doubt, the best team in 2A, and would have played w/ most teams in 3A. just ask Celina. No, you better not ask them. They would have an excuse already for why they lost.

Congrats to Daingerfield and the Tiger nation. Of course, the Tiger nation will be insufferable now (as if they weren't). Seriously, Daingerfield, congratulations on an outstanding season. W/o a doubt, the best team in 2A, and would have played w/ most teams in 3A. just ask Celina. No, you better not ask them. They would have an excuse already for why they lost.

Back again after sleeping to give my biased, Carthage homer report. Seriously, Clutchon18 give a very good overview of the game. One thing about putting 8 or 9 in the box. If you break the 1st line of contain, there is no one there. On Smith's 89 yard TD, once he went the 1st 10 yards, there was NO ONE between him and the end zone. I know that Carthage is graduating most of their backs and receivers, but I think most of their lineman are returning. They'll be good again next year because their O line and D line are very big and physical. Celina is a great team and a great program, but I think there is a myth about programs like Celina, Liberty Hill, and Southlake Carroll. The assumption is these teams are less talented but more disciplined. They win because they are better coached, more disciplined, and just out hustle the other teams that they play. This assumptions always bothers me because it discounts the talents of these schools, and it also usually has some underlying, unspoken racial implications. In reality, Celina was a very talented team. They didn't have the talen of Carthage, but they were still very talented. But the team that was more disciplined and made fewer mistakes last night was Carthage. I will agree with Clutchon that #27 for Celina was a great player. He ran hard, he made great cuts, and he had great leg drive. Celina had a couple of really good backs (#23 was a also a good player). But Carthage just had more talent. I will say this about Celina. In every game I saw Carthage play this year (and in most of the games they one), they totally and completely dominated the game. In spite of that, Celina (and Gilmer) were able to stay in the game and make it close (Gilmer at the end, Celina through 2 1/2 quarters). Most other schools eventually laid down. Celina certainly didn't do that. They played hard till the very end, and they accepted defeat with grace and dignity. They players that is. I haven't seen many crow eating posters yet.

After watching the game, a few quick observations. 1) Game was a bigger blowout that score indicated. I talked with a photographer on the field, and he said he had a clear picture of the ball being fumbled at least a foot before the goal line on Celina's first TD. They then converted a TD at the end of the half. But Carthage totally and completely dominated the 2nd half. Celina score two late TD's when Carthage was in prevent and was easily giving up yards for time. But Carthage dominated the game. 2) The size of Carthage really got to Celina by the 4th Quarter. Carthage physically manhandled them. The key strech of the game occured after Celina's 2nd half fumble. Carthage scored, and then on the next defensive possession just pinned their ears back and overwhelmed Celina's O Line. Then after the punt down to the 4, Carthage's O line paved the way for Smith's 89 yard run. 3) I know homers will be homer's, but the most absurd comment I heard this last week was that Dwight Smith would not gain 100 yards. Smith is the most dominant running back I've seen play at the high school level. Everybody will talk about his 89 yard run, but to me his best run was his first TD of 50 yards. Celina had the perfect defense called for the play, and Smith Stiff arms a tackler to the ground, and then out runs everyone, even though they have the angle on him. 4) Celina does a good job on on offense of stretching the field and then finding the crease. Their running backs would run to the boundary and know just when to cut back or cut up. Celina also had two players, #72 & #45, who will play college ball somewhere. Both are big, but they are not yet bulky. After a couple of years in a college program, both will easily fit another 40 -50 pounds on their frame. 5) Celina is a class school, with a class program, and class kids. I was really impressed with their sportsmanship. I'm not going to label the town on the basis of a few posters who probably won't even show up to eat their crow. But winning 8 titles creates the expectation that you should win simply because you're Celina. And that's what led several posters to be so overconfident before this game started. 6) Region 3 was the best region in 3A this year, without a doubt. I think West Orange Stark or Gilmer would have also won state if they had won region 3. It's 3:15 and I should be in bed. Congrats Carthage. You were without a doubt the best 3A football team in the state of Texas this year.

One of the DMN guys actually picked Celina to win 45-10. That's a prediction made out of arrogance, ignorance, or both. I'm for one glad the DMN boys got pie in their face.

Glad to hear the article about Celina and their emphasis on their faith. I think that many schools in Texas (and many coaches as well) can use sports as an avenue to share their Christian faith and values. I mean, what do we all say is the real value and reason for high school football? Almost always we agree that it is to impart into the lives of young high school students character traits, values, and principles that will allow them to be better men. I would hope that most coaches have this view, and that they are Christians. Trust me, I feel much more comfortable about Gilmer football because I go to church with 1/2 their coaching staff! I think that football is a great opportunity to show society that Christians can be intense, competitive, and even agressive while still retaining the values and principles of integrity, morality, and responsibility. I've seen several teams gather for prayer before or after a game, and it's a great testimony. Hopefully, that testimony will be seen in players from Celina and Carthage this weekend.

Gilmer only has one player on 1st or 2nd team, and advanced to the reagional final. Probably only had one player that actually should have been on the 1st or 2nd team. This is a real testament to the "team" Gilmer placed on the field this year.

Wow, I wonder how many are banned from this sight before kickoff! I love the "You haven't seen a (team, running back, offense, defense, etc) like us before" posts. I believe it is one of the smoakyisms, btw. I also love the "Wait till after the game and then come back here and eat your crow." SOMEBODY is going to lose this game, and that means there will be a whole lot of people whose posts are going to look really foolish (I don't care which team is the loser). I know that the Gilmer coaching staff thought Carthage was the best team in state this year, and they were saying that all the way back in week 7. They are good on both sides of the ball. defensive front four did a number on Gilmer all night. I haven't seen Celina play, so I'm not going to act like I know how good they are. I hope Carthage wins, and I think they will. But if Dwight Smith gains less than 100 yards, I'll, heck I don't know what I'd do.

I am a firm believer that there is a difference between high school talent and D1 talent. For example, a school can have a defensive end that is just totally dominant at the high school level, but he's 5'10", 190 lbs. He's a terror at the high school level, but doesn't have a chance of playing D1 ball. I've seen a lot of teams with more overall talent but less D1 players than their opponents. Just because Celina doesn't have a lot of D1 players doesn't mean they're not good. They are plenty talented. With that being said, I don't know that they can stop Carthage. I don't see a team in the state that can stop Smith with just their front seven (Gilmer couldn't, and the vaunted Giddings front seven couldn't). But any team that begins to load up the box with 8 or 9 players is going to be burned by Carthage's passing attack. That will certainly be a difference b/t Carthage and Liberty Hill. If Celina loads the box, Carthage can go over the top on them. Conceivably, if Celina was able to hold onto the ball for long extended drives, they might wear out the Carthage Defense and keep Carthage's offense off the field. But I just don't think they can do that. I thought the winner of the Carthage / Gilmer game would win state, and I'm going to continue to believe that. I certainly hope so.

If Cisco really is an option oriented team, I think they are in deep trouble. Option teams really don't deal well with teams that have a lot of speed on the edge. If Daingerfield plays their assignments well and tackles well, Cisco's option attack will go nowhere. I'll certainly be hollering for Dfield. If they would push the game back just two hours, the Longview - Daingerfield Double would be quite a treat for all of us East Texas football fans.

Sometimes I really hate the "honey do's". I had planned myself a nice little trip to Texas Stadium today to watch 3 playoff games. Then the wife hits me with the chore list. Needless to say, I'm here typing on my computer after replacing bathroom countertop and sink. Meanwhile, Sulphur Springs and Longview both win at Texas Stadium in outstanding, nail biting, high scoring shoot outs. Somebody owes me. But Congrats to Longview. Talk about strange. I 5A (Allen & Wylie), 4A (Longview & Sulphur Springs), and 3A (Celina & Prosper), 2 teams in the same district made it to the championship game. I reality, Allen is Longview's only loss on the field. That's saying something right there.

I think Prosper and Celina are in the same district. Prosper has won state, and Celina will be playing for state. Tough district.

Okay, so all we heard this week was how good Giddings D-Line was, and Smith gained 300+ yards! Sure hope Carthage hands it to Celina. I'd like to see a good old 41-14 duplicate. Really is sad that probably the best two teams in 3A played last week. But that's the playoffs. I'm sure most of East Texas is going to be rooting for Carthage next week. Go get one more.

I think everybody thought 13-4A would be tough this year w/ Longview moving down, Marshall and Texas High always tough, and Sulphur Springs returning Rollison. But w/o a doubt, this is proving to be the best 4A district in Texas. Congrats Sulphur Springs. Peaking at the right time, and playing some great football. Now Go Lobos, and let's make it a 13-4A double.

If the State Championship game is played in Mesquite I will definitely be there (and I'm sure a lot of Gilmer fans would make that trip). Congrats to Daingerfield. Doesn't surprise me. Often that East Texas Speed overwhelms teams. One more win, and another state championship to East Texas. Just a crazy question. Suppose somehow or another Celina wins tomorrow and then again next week. Would Daingerfield, if they win, have 2A and 3A state championship bragging rights?

I only saw Smith play the one game against Gilmer, but he was definitely the best back I've seen this year. As far as speed, his 66 yarder was proof of his speed. He ran away from every Gilmer defender. Smith's biggest problem will be the same problem all runners like him have (Peterson, Marion Barber, Campbell, etc). Runners that run that hard often injure themselves in the process. It's not a knock on him, it's just the way it is. Walter Payton is the only back I know that Consistently gave out punishment without suffering nagging injuries. But you can't change a back's style. I'd love to have Smith on my team, if I was a coach. He's a great running back. Comparisons will always be made with any good running back in East Texas. But compaisons aside, I haven't seen a back as good as Smith this year.

The internet, and particularly posting on the internet, is the perfect place for the anonymous. The insecure, the self loathing, the former high school geeks who desire their day in the sun, have a forum to spew their vitriol and to claim their self righteousness. Often, some posts are quite funny. But sadly, too many times after reading a post, I realize the poster is a just a bitter, insecure person who's mad at the world. Barebacker, please find another place to spew.

Would say that Carthage is underrated, not the other way around. I thought the speed difference in the game was pretty impressive. On Smith's first touchdown, he ran away from both of our safeties. I really did think a back his size would be that fast. He is certainly the real deal. When Gilmer had the ball, they often tried to break plays outside, but were never able to outrun the Carthage speed. I hope Carthage doesn't have an emotional let down next week. I saw them come out of the tunnel for this game, and they were sky high. They should beat Giddings, and I'm sure the coaches will make sure they are focused. I sure would like to see a Carthage / Liberty Hill state championship. I'd really like to see Carthage beat them.